Giro d'Italia: Key contenders, predictions, betting tips and odds

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The 109th Giro d'Italia begins in Bulgaria on Friday and two-time Tour de France winner Jonas Vingegaard begins the race as an overwhelming favourite to win the pink jersey. 

The Dane is just 1-5 to win the Giro on his race debut as he attempts to become only the eighth cyclist in history to win all three Grand Tours.

Giro d'Italia best bets

Egan Bernal to win the Giro d'Italia
1pt each-way 33-1 Coral, Ladbrokes

Ben O'Connor top-ten finish
2pts 5-6 bet365

Giro d'Italia predictions

The sheer dominance of Slovenian superstar Tadej Pogacar has made betting on cycling much less open than has previously been the case. 

When he's not mopping up Grand Tours, Pogacar is busy winning the sport's most prestigious one-day races, which on the face of it makes this year's Giro d'Italia an intriguing heat given that the world champion isn't involved. 

The problem is Pogacar's great rival, Jonas Vingegaard, will be on the start line and he has only an unproven Italian youngster and a host of nearly-men to beat. 

The Dane is the only man to stop Pogacar in a Grand Tour this decade and it's hard to see how he doesn't ride into Rome draped in the pink jersey providing he avoids injury or incident. 

Should he do so, the 29-year-old will become only the eighth man in history to have won all three Grand Tours. 

The Giro is often the most watchable and unpredictable of cycling's three-week races, and a route heavy in mountain tests lends itself to fireworks, although most of those seem likely to be provided by Vingegaard. 

Giulio Pellizzari is aiming to becoming the first Italian to win the race since Vincenzo Nibali in 2016 and is a clear second-favourite. The Red Bull rider was sixth last year but challenging for a high finish is a different thing entirely to trying to win the pink jersey. 

Felix Gall is an excellent climber but doesn't exactly scream of being a Grand Tour winner in waiting, while Adam Yates would need everything to fall his way to emulate his brother Simon, who won last year's race on the penultimate stage after his rivals dropped the ball on the road to Sestriere.

There was a time when Egan Bernal was being heralded as the next big thing in cycling before he suffered a horrific training crash in 2022. But there have been signs that the two-time Grand Tour winner is at least capable of being competitive once again.

Bernal won the Colombian national title in February and he was second to Pellizzari at last month's Tour of the Alps before a highly creditable fifth place among a stellar cast at Liege-Bastogne-Liege. 

The 29-year-old finished no worse than fourth on the three mountain stages in the Alps, and the mountainous Giro route will be to his liking. 

A small each-way interest on Bernal can be advised, while 150-1 outright shot Ben O'Connor definitely has top-ten potential on previous form. 

The Aussie climber was fourth at the 2024 Giro behind Pogacar, while he occupied the same position on GC at the 2021 Tour and finished runner-up at the Vuelta two years ago. 

His second-placed finish in Spain came as a by-product of a solo success on stage six and it's not difficult to envisage a similar scenario if he decides to go for stages.

The 109th edition of the Giro begins on Friday in Nessebar, Bulgaria, which will host the first three stages, and Italian sprinter Jonathan Milan is odds-on to take the first leader's jersey of this year's race.

Latest Giro d'Italia betting odds

Sign up to Betfred to be on the 2026 Giro d'Italia. Here is the latest betting to win the first Grand Tour of the year:

Odds correct at time of publication and subject to change

Giro d'Italia FAQs

When is the 2026 Giro d'Italia?

The 109th Giro d'Italia begins on Friday, May 8 in Nessebar, Bulgaria and concludes on Rome on Sunday, May 31.

Who are the favourites to win the 2026 Giro d'Italia?

Two-time Tour de France winner Jonas Vingegaard is the overwhelming 1-5 favourites to win a fourth Grand Tour at this year's Giro.

Who won the 2025 Giro d'Italia?

Great Britain's Simon Yates profited from poor tactics from his rivals to with last year's Giro d'Italia on the penultimate stage.

Why does the Giro d'Italia leader wear a pink jersey?

The leader of the Giro d'Italia wears a pink jersey, or the Maglia Rosa, in homage to popular Italian sports newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport, which has been printed on pink paper since 1899. The Maglia Rosa was introduced to the Giro in 1931.

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